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Family Secrets
(The Secret Societies Collection #1)
by
An orphan by the age of sixteen, Sophia Morganthal now lives with her best friend and struggles in a world with no relatives. Midway through her Senior year, Sophia finds herself flying across the country to live with a family she never knew existed. She ends up with more questions than answers when she discovers that not only does she come from a long line of witches but
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Start your review of Family Secrets (The Secret Societies, #1)
This book was just the perfect read for me.
magic.
witches.
betrayal
romance
and
MAGIC!
I made a video review for this amazing read here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRSYn...
I feel in love with the setting and premise of this story. I am a big fan of witches and this book sits up there with the heavy weights such as L.J.Smith and Cate Tiernan!
A spell binding read that swallowed me up and took me on a fantastical ride.
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magic.
witches.
betrayal
romance
and
MAGIC!
I made a video review for this amazing read here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRSYn...
I feel in love with the setting and premise of this story. I am a big fan of witches and this book sits up there with the heavy weights such as L.J.Smith and Cate Tiernan!
A spell binding read that swallowed me up and took me on a fantastical ride.
...more
* I received and ARC for an honest review*
Wow! I read this in about 2 hours, I just couldn't put it down! And after having a bout of crappy book choices, this was a GREAT surprise! Poor Sophie, she's lost everyone she loves, and is forced to leave her best friend to meet a grandmother she didn't even know existed.
If that weren't hard enough Alexa hates her, and she's stuck with the exact group of friends she never wanted, except for Sydney.
Sydney is a nice surprise. Oh and then there is Connor, ...more
Wow! I read this in about 2 hours, I just couldn't put it down! And after having a bout of crappy book choices, this was a GREAT surprise! Poor Sophie, she's lost everyone she loves, and is forced to leave her best friend to meet a grandmother she didn't even know existed.
If that weren't hard enough Alexa hates her, and she's stuck with the exact group of friends she never wanted, except for Sydney.
Sydney is a nice surprise. Oh and then there is Connor, ...more
I was so impressed by this debut novel! The characters had depth, the plot moved quickly and I was drawn full-fledged into the plot. I can't wait to see what Kat cooks up for the second book in the Secret Societies collection!
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I am SO excited about this book and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out. Why must I keep getting into series that don’t have the next books written?! *fist shake* I could not put this one down. The book is a fantastic mixture of familiar and unique paranormal that keeps the reader on their toes as more is revealed. I particularly appreciated that there wasn’t a huge buildup of discovering-she’s-a-witch taking a quarter of the book. Sophie is told she is a witch, and after some resistance un
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Actual Rating: 3.5
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
I haven't read a witch book in a very long time (I think the last one I read was Witch and Wizard by James Patterson like 5 years ago), so I didn't really know what to expect with this book. It started off very well, but I feel like what kept me from loving this book is the characters. I didn't connect with them at all, especially Sophia. I just felt like they were all wayyy more dramatic than they needed to be ...more
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review
I haven't read a witch book in a very long time (I think the last one I read was Witch and Wizard by James Patterson like 5 years ago), so I didn't really know what to expect with this book. It started off very well, but I feel like what kept me from loving this book is the characters. I didn't connect with them at all, especially Sophia. I just felt like they were all wayyy more dramatic than they needed to be ...more
Kat is a refreshing new author who's debut novel is up for "Most Anticipated New Release".
This book was an easy and enjoyable read! It kept my interest and turned out to be a wonderful surprise. This book centers around a young lady named Sophie. She has simply been dealt a bum hand in life; losing those that she loved the most all before the age of 18. But, she has moxie and a quick whit that will come in handy with a grandmother she never knew comes calling. Because of her loss she finds hers ...more
This book was an easy and enjoyable read! It kept my interest and turned out to be a wonderful surprise. This book centers around a young lady named Sophie. She has simply been dealt a bum hand in life; losing those that she loved the most all before the age of 18. But, she has moxie and a quick whit that will come in handy with a grandmother she never knew comes calling. Because of her loss she finds hers ...more
I agree with the other reviews, this story was a breath of fresh air after a couple poor book selections for me. Sophia is an ordinary girl who lost her parents too soon.She was forced into an un-ordinary world when she finds out that she has a Grandma across the country, and is forced to live with her. She slowly uncovers evidence that her Grandma is not exactly a good person, and has to figure out how to protect herself and her friends from her Grandmas evil. With the help of her new friends,
...more
Great read….can’t wait for the next book in this series!
Sophia has been through a lot already, losing both parents. She lives with her best friend and her mother. What she doesn’t know is how much more she will go through once her grandmother beckons her. At age 17, she has to learn the magic of the Blackthorne coven. That is what her life has become. There are so many twists and turns in Sophia’s future. This book kept me wondering what was going to happen next and wanting to read more. It is a ...more
Sophia has been through a lot already, losing both parents. She lives with her best friend and her mother. What she doesn’t know is how much more she will go through once her grandmother beckons her. At age 17, she has to learn the magic of the Blackthorne coven. That is what her life has become. There are so many twists and turns in Sophia’s future. This book kept me wondering what was going to happen next and wanting to read more. It is a ...more
4.5 Stars --Really enjoyed Family Secrets by Kat Nichols. Exciting and full of great characters.
Full Review to post soon.
Full Review to post soon.
Full review at Southern Bred, Southern Read Book Blog .
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Note: I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Family Secrets by Kat Nichols is the first instalment in The Secret Societies Collection. The novel is about Sophia, who has been living with her best friend Abby after both her parents died, but soon she is sent off to live with family she never knew existed.
Not only so, Sophia discovers that comes from a long line of witches. She has to learn everything within five months for her initiation on her eighteenth birthday ...more
Just finished my reread of the book since I actually beta read this a few months ago!
The book starts off a little slow, but really picks up when she finally goes to her new school. I LOVED how skeptical she was of the magic stuff...and how she maintained it even as she played along at first. Sometimes I find the characters in paranormal books believe things too easily, and this just felt so much more realistic. Thus, her reactions when she finds out it's all real just killed me! The thing that I ...more
The book starts off a little slow, but really picks up when she finally goes to her new school. I LOVED how skeptical she was of the magic stuff...and how she maintained it even as she played along at first. Sometimes I find the characters in paranormal books believe things too easily, and this just felt so much more realistic. Thus, her reactions when she finds out it's all real just killed me! The thing that I ...more
Let's start out with me saying... I've never really been a fan of NA/YA... That being said, Kat Nichols has changed my mind. I've always loved the stories of other worldly things but wasn't quite sure how this book would turn out being NA/YA.... It was a shocker and definitely a thought/mind changer. Sophia, isn't your typical teen/high school character. She's gone through way way more than any adult ever could. She's a strongly written character that oddly enough, I connected with and truly cam
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I'm not a big fan of giving books Five Star ratings unless I really REALLY like them. And this book is just that much better because it is a first novel.
I love that this book kept me turning pages until the very end. When I first posted my update that I was reading this on Goodreads it was the first day of reading and I got through 51% percent of the book, according to my Kindle. I could have read more but I had other things I had to do that day, like posting on Goodreads and reading my e-mail. ...more
I love that this book kept me turning pages until the very end. When I first posted my update that I was reading this on Goodreads it was the first day of reading and I got through 51% percent of the book, according to my Kindle. I could have read more but I had other things I had to do that day, like posting on Goodreads and reading my e-mail. ...more
RATING: 4 STARS
After the death of both of her parents, Sophia Morganthal is living with her best friend Abby and her mother while trying to cope with the fact that she is alone with absolutely no family left. That is until her friend's mom tells her she has been contacted by her long lost grandmother, her father's mother. After arriving at her grandmother's house though, Sophie quickly realises that thing aren't normal and that is confirmed when her grandmother tells her she is a witch. Sophie ...more
After the death of both of her parents, Sophia Morganthal is living with her best friend Abby and her mother while trying to cope with the fact that she is alone with absolutely no family left. That is until her friend's mom tells her she has been contacted by her long lost grandmother, her father's mother. After arriving at her grandmother's house though, Sophie quickly realises that thing aren't normal and that is confirmed when her grandmother tells her she is a witch. Sophie ...more
In the debut book of up and coming author Kat Nichols, we read about Sophia who is a girl who has had a some hard, sad things happen in her life but has risen above them. She is tough and strong, all the makings of a perfect heroine!
Just when orphan Sophia thinks she is the only one left in her family, she discovers that she has a grandmother, a grandmother who wants her to come live with her. Sophia goes and quickly discovers that the family she wanted is not exactly the family she has.
The way ...more
Feb 27, 2015
Amanda Shelley-Masters
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nerd-girl-reviews
I was given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Amazing book! I couldn't put the book down for a second! Kat Nichols is an wonderful author full of imagination and intrigue! The book was full of magic, romance and chaos, just how I like them!...lol
I really liked the main character Sophia she was strong even through she didn't know it and she stood up even though she was afried. Kat did a amazing job on the bad guys in this one they were truly Witchy! you never quite knew who ...more
Amazing book! I couldn't put the book down for a second! Kat Nichols is an wonderful author full of imagination and intrigue! The book was full of magic, romance and chaos, just how I like them!...lol
I really liked the main character Sophia she was strong even through she didn't know it and she stood up even though she was afried. Kat did a amazing job on the bad guys in this one they were truly Witchy! you never quite knew who ...more
*I was gifted a copy for an honest review**
Can I just say WOW!
Sophie is an orphan who didn't think she had any family after losing her parents, that is until her grandmother came into the picture. Without a choice in the matter Sophie has to move in with her and finds out she's a witch! Her love interest is forbidden, and her friends are few...
Can she learn what usually takes years to become a witch and do what best for her coven?
Ok so at first she was your typical, shy teenager, but you can ...more
Can I just say WOW!
Sophie is an orphan who didn't think she had any family after losing her parents, that is until her grandmother came into the picture. Without a choice in the matter Sophie has to move in with her and finds out she's a witch! Her love interest is forbidden, and her friends are few...
Can she learn what usually takes years to become a witch and do what best for her coven?
Ok so at first she was your typical, shy teenager, but you can ...more
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
**I received an ARC of Family Secrets from the author in exchange for an honest review**
Kat Nichols writes with heart and enthusiasm. She has a talent for crafting magical (pun intended) stories which keep you wondering what is going to happen next. Family Secrets flows smoothly from when Sophia leaves her best friend Abby behind to being sent to Illinois to when she discovers her family’s secret, uncovering hidden twists along the way. The characters are well develop ...more
**I received an ARC of Family Secrets from the author in exchange for an honest review**
Kat Nichols writes with heart and enthusiasm. She has a talent for crafting magical (pun intended) stories which keep you wondering what is going to happen next. Family Secrets flows smoothly from when Sophia leaves her best friend Abby behind to being sent to Illinois to when she discovers her family’s secret, uncovering hidden twists along the way. The characters are well develop ...more
I enjoyed this book. It was smooth reading and definitely left me feeling invested in Kat's work. I didn't feel like I was reading work from a brand new author, and I suspect that the next books will continue to improve upon the last. I am grateful that the ending was not a terrible cliffhanger. I was left happy that there was more to come, but not annoyed that it ended abruptly. There is nothing worse than not having a plot come to a conclusion. It ended right wgere it needed to and gave me a s
...more
*I received and ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If I hadn't already known this was Kat Nichols debut novel..I never would have guessed it with how well she wrote this book. I enjoyed reading this book, once I started I had a really hard time putting it down.
Kat did a great job with character building and the storyline kept me engaged, wanting more. I LOVED getting to know Sophia, she is a girl who has been through a lot of heartache and loss and change, yet somehow she manages to keep her ...more
If I hadn't already known this was Kat Nichols debut novel..I never would have guessed it with how well she wrote this book. I enjoyed reading this book, once I started I had a really hard time putting it down.
Kat did a great job with character building and the storyline kept me engaged, wanting more. I LOVED getting to know Sophia, she is a girl who has been through a lot of heartache and loss and change, yet somehow she manages to keep her ...more
I really felt for this main character right from the start. It's clear how important her friends are to her since her family is gone. So when she is basically forced to go live with some family she has never met before, it broke my heart. Then when she begins to discover who she comes from and what they do, I wanted to offer to let her come live with me. The journey she is on is so appealing, yet dangerous. The people around her all seem two-faced and the losses she has to endure keep piling up.
...more
A strong character driven story with great dialoge and a slowing simmering romance. The evil wench was honestly my favorite character. Loved how KN showed Sofia's helplessness and the fact that she didn't give up. Sofia was a great lead.
Is there really such a thing as using mayonnaise in cake mix to make it better? (serously, I really want to know)
The ending was glorious! It surprised me and I generally hate surprises but I didn't hate this at all. Quite the opposite actually. I am excited abou ...more
Is there really such a thing as using mayonnaise in cake mix to make it better? (serously, I really want to know)
The ending was glorious! It surprised me and I generally hate surprises but I didn't hate this at all. Quite the opposite actually. I am excited abou ...more
Feb 15, 2015
Debbie Payne
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
firstreads,
review-3-star
I think that this YA series will be a bit hit with its targeted audience. Although it was well written and the characters were well developed, it just wasn't the book for me. Occasionally I will try a book outside of my comfort level just to see what other people are reading but on the whole, I am not a huge fan of series books. I made the mistake of getting involved with The Outlander and can't get into too many more series books until I finish all eight of them. It will take me YEARS! But I do
...more
I will start out by saying this is not the type of book I normally read and I was surprised at how quickly I became invested in the story. Sophia is a believable and interesting character who shows strength and courage while maintaining the characteristics of a normal teenage girl.
Her romantic relationship plays out just as you expect it to but there are plot twists that took me by surprise and show that Nichols is aiming for (and achieving) something more solid than just a teenage fantasy. She ...more
Her romantic relationship plays out just as you expect it to but there are plot twists that took me by surprise and show that Nichols is aiming for (and achieving) something more solid than just a teenage fantasy. She ...more
I won this book in one of the giveaways. I loved it. I couldn't put it down and lost sleep staying up to read it. I loved the view on a witch story and the characters were very believable. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I want to know how Sophia handles her new coven,and the trouble her grandmother will cause in the future.
...more
Jan 21, 2015
Draya
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone that enjoys a good young adult series
Recommended to Draya by:
It was recommended by one of my favorite authors Rachel Higginson.
Shelves:
favorites,
books-i-own
Great new young adult series. This is an entertaining, easy read with a good mix of magic, friendship and a little romance too. I loved it and cannot wait to see what happens next with Sophia, Conner, Alexa, Beverly and the covens.
Loved the story. Very unique. Can't wait for the next one!
...more
This was a really interesting book. I really enjoyed all of the twists and turns. The characters were different. I won this book on good reads.
Mar 19, 2015
Ayanami Faerudo
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
books-read-in-2015
I was expecting unnecessary drama but there wasn't. It's a good thing. Tell a story, simple and straightforward. Deliver. Done.
...more
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Kat Nichols was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. The youngest of four children, she'd been known to play for hours with only a cardboard box for entertainment. Her imaginary friends had friends... and family... and even little cities to play in. As she grew older, she began to put some of these stories down on paper, rather than keeping them in her head.
Writing a novel had always been a ...more
Writing a novel had always been a ...more
Other books in the series
The Secret Societies Collection
(3 books)
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If you listen to NPR regularly, you’ve likely heard the voice of Shankar Vedantam, the longtime science correspondent and host of the radio...
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